Is This Mom Burnout or Am I Just Broken?

You know that feeling when you're going through the motions but everything feels... gray?

Like this morning I made breakfast, packed lunches, did the school drop-off, came home to a sink full of dishes and just stood there staring at them. Not because they're hard to wash. Just because the thought of doing one more thing felt impossible.

I used to get excited about little moments with my kids. Story time, playground trips, even grocery shopping together. Now it all feels like I'm underwater, watching myself parent from somewhere far away.

The worst part is feeling guilty about feeling this way. My kids are healthy. We have a roof over our heads. I should be grateful, right? But instead I find myself counting down the hours until bedtime and then feeling terrible about it.

I snap at them over tiny things. I zone out when they're talking to me. I order takeout because cooking feels like climbing a mountain.

Everyone keeps saying "this is just a phase" or "enjoy every moment" and I want to scream because I'm not enjoying anything right now. I'm just... surviving.

I keep wondering if this is what mom burnout actually feels like, because I don't recognize myself anymore.

Questions:

1. When did you first realize you might be experiencing mom burnout?
2. What does "going through the motions" look like in your daily life?
3. How do you handle the guilt that comes with not enjoying motherhood right now?